Learn Italian: carpaccio – the dish, not the painter

If you don’t like raw meat, we suggest you avoid the word “carpaccio” on Italian menus.
The original recipe is said to come from either Veneto or Piedmont, depending on which historian you speak to.
The story from Veneto goes that the famous Italian dish of thinly sliced raw meat was created in Venice by Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Harry’s Bar, for his friend, the countess Amalia Nani Mocenigo.

At the time the city was hosting an exhibition of the works of the painter Carpaccio, and the dish was named after him as the red meat reflected the splendid red colours of his canvases.
However, carpaccio also has its origins in Piedmont, where for centuries people have eaten “carne all’albese”.

This is traditional carpaccio, served with lemon, garlic, salt and pepper (and maybe a little truffle), whereas the swanky Venetian version included mayonnaise, lemon Worcester sauce.
These days carpaccio is served with lemon and sometimes with grana padano shaved parmesan cheese and rocket lettuce.
To be enjoyed with a local Piedmontese wine, for example a Dolcetto from Diano d’Alba.

Painters or raw meat, it’s a delicate Italian dish to look out for on your next holiday.